T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. NO R MAN G AR C I A, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 11- 10481 D. C. No . 4 : 1 0 - c r - 0 0 9 1 4 - FR ZJC G -1 ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt

f orthe D i s tr i c tof

A r i z ona F r a nk R . Z apa t a , S e ni orD i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d J a nua ry 15, 2013 S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: W A L L A C E , F A R R IS , an d B Y B E E , C i rcu i tJu d g es. N or m a n G a r c i a w a s i ndi c t e d on tw o c ount s of A s s a ul tw i th a D a nge r ous W e apon, i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . §§ 113( a ) a nd 1153( a ) , a nd one c ountof P os s e s s i on a nd U s e of

a F i r e a r m i n R e l a t i on t o a C r i m e of V i ol e nc e , i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . § 924( c ) ( 1) ( A ) ( i i i ) . F ol l ow i ng a j oi nttr i a l w i th one c o- de f e nda nt , the 

# FI LED JAN 28 2 013 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

j ury c on vi ct ed G ar ci a on al l coun t s a nd the di stri ctcourtse nt ence d h i m t o el even ye ar s i m pri sonm ent . G ar ci a now appeal s hi s c on vi ct i on and sent ence . T he part i es a r e f a mi l i a rw i th th e f

a c t s . W e a f

f i r m. G ar ci a c on t ends thatthe di stri ctcourterre d b y denyi ng hi s m ot i on t o sever . T h e d e n ia l o f

a m o tio n to s e v e ris r e v ie w e d f o rab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n . U

ni ted Stat es v. J e nki ns , 78 5 F . 2d 13 87 , 13 93 (9th C i r. 19 86 ). G ar ci a m ustshow that“ j oi nd erw as so m ani fe st l y pre

j ud i ci al thati tou tw ei gh ed the do m i nantconcern w i th j ud i ci al ec on om y. ” U

n i ted S ta tes v. D o u g la ss , 7 8 0 F .2 d 1 4 7 2 , 1 4 7 8 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 8 6 ) . G a r c ia m akes three ar gu m ent s thathe w as un du l y pre j ud i ce d b y the j oi nttri al : (1) that the r e w a s a di s pa r i ty i n the w e i ghtof the e vi de nc e of

f e r e d a ga i ns thi m a nd hi s c ode f e nda nt ; ( 2) tha tthe j ury i ns truc t i ons w e r e i na de qua t e ; a nd ( 3) tha tthe c o n f e s s io n o f h is c o - d e f

e n d a n t v io la te d th e ru le in B ruton v. U ni ted Stat es , 391 U . S . 12 3 (19 68 ). E ac h o f these ar gu m ent s f ai l s. T he j ury c ou l d com partm ent al i ze the evi dence of f e r e d a ga i ns tthe tw o de f e nda nt s a nd thus G a r c i a w a s notpr e j udi c e d by a j oi nt tr ia l. See U

n ite d S ta te s v . Es c a la n te , 6 3 7 F .2 d 1 1 9 7 , 1 2 0 1 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 8 0 ) ; see a l so U ni ted Stat es v. Mon ks , 774 F . 2d 945, 949 ( 9th C i r . 1985) . T he tr i a l j udge ga ve c le a rin s tru c tio n s to th e ju ryth a t n e u tr a liz e d a n y p o te n tia l p r e ju d ic e . See Es c a la n te , 6 3 7 F .2 d a t 1 2 0 1

– 0 2 . G a r c ia ’s c o - d e f e n d a n t te s tif

ie d a t tr ia l a n d w a s s u b

je c t to3

cr oss- exam i nat i on , and there fore B r uton d o e s n o t ap p ly . Se e B r uton , 39 1 U . S . at 126- 128. G a r c i a a l s o a r gue s tha tthe r e w a s i ns uf f i c i e nte vi de nc e t o pr ove the i nt e nt e l e m e ntof

hi s a s s a ul tc onvi c t i on. W e r e vi e w a s uf f i c i e nc y of

the e vi de nc e c l a i m de n o v o . U n i ted S ta tes v. S tew a rt , 4 2 0 F . 3 d 1 0 0 7 , 1 0 1 4 (9 th C i r. 2 0 0 5 ). W e m u st

“ de t e r m i ne w he the r‘ a f

t e rvi e w i ng the e vi de nc e i n the l i ghtm os tf a vor abl e t o the p r o s e c u tio n , any r a t i ona l tr i e rof f a c tc oul d ha ve f

ound the e s s e nt i a l e l e m e nt s of the cr i m e bey on d a re as on abl e dou bt . ’ ” U n ite d S ta te s v . N

e v ils , 598 F . 3d 1158, 1163–64 ( 9th C i r . 2010) ( e n ba nc ) ( quot i ng J a c k s o n v . V ir g in ia , 443 U . S . 307, 319 (197 9)). T he re cord cont ai ned suffi ci entfa ct s f rom w hi ch the j ury c ou l d i nferthat G a r c iah a d th e r e q u is ite in te n t. See U ni ted Stat es v. B i rges , 7 2 3 F .2 d 6 6 6 , 6 7 2 ( 9 th C i r. 19 84 ). N ext , G ar ci a c on t ends thatthe di stri ctcourtshou l d h ave i nstruct ed the j ury r e ga r di ng the l e s s e r - i nc l ude d of f e ns e of s i m pl e a s s a ul te ve n though he di d not re qu es ti tattri al . A chal l enge t o the di stri ctcourt ’ s f ai l ure t o g i ve a l es se r- i ncl ud ed offe nse i nstruct i on sua s po nt e i s r evi ew ed for pl ai n err or. U ni ted Stat es v. P arke r , 99 1 F . 2d 14 93 , 14 96 (9th C i r. 19 93 ). “ P l ai n err or i s f ou nd on l y i n except i on al c ir c u m s ta n c e s , w h e n th e e rr o ris h ig h ly p r e ju d ic ia l, a f

f e c ts s u b s ta n tia l r ig h ts , a n d it i s hi gh l y probabl e thati tm at er i al l y a ff ec t ed the verdi ct . ” U

ni ted Stat es v. Sa nchez ,4

91 4 F . 2d 13 55 , 13 58 (9th C i r. 19 90 ). T he j ury had am pl e e vi dence t o con vi ct G a r c iaf o rth e c h a r g e d o f

f e n s e a n d G a r c iaf

a ils to e s tab lis h th a t it is h ig h ly p r o b ab le th a t ale s s e r - in c lu d e d in s tru c tio n w o u ld h a v e c h a n g e d th e v e r d ic t. Se e i d. a t 1 3 5 8 , 1 3 6 0

– 6 1 . T h e r e w a s n o p la in e rr o r . F i nal l y, G ar ci a a rgues thathi s c on se cut i ve se nt ence s f or conv i ct i on s und er 1 8 U .S .C . § § 1 1 3 ( a ) ( 3 ) a n d 1 1 5 3 ( a ) in a d d itio n to § 9 2 4 ( c ) ru n a f o u l o f th e D o u b le Jeo p ard y cl au se. C o n secu t i v e sen t en ces d o n o tv i o l at e th e D o u b l e Jeo p ard y cl au se w hen “ ea ch coun tof the i nd i ctm entre qu i re s proof of a fa ctthatthe other does no t . ” U ni ted Stat es v. G on zal ez , 800 F . 2d 895, 897 ( 9th C i r . 1986) ( c i t i ng B lockburger v. U

ni ted Stat es , 284 U . S . 299, 304 ( 1932) ) . G a r c i a ’ s c onvi c t i ons sa t i sf y the B lockburgert es t ; S ec t i on s 924 (c )( 1)(A )( i i i ) a nd 11 3(a) (3) e ac h requi re p r o o f o f a t le a s t o n e f

a c t th a t th e o th e rd o e s n o t. AF F I RME D.